Pregnancy Woes
by bookgirl813
Summary: From conception to birth, the stages of pregnancy can be daunting even for even the strongest Kunoichi.


Originally posted for MadaSaku week 2019 on my Tumblr account Also cross-posted on my AO3 account (Aijoinu).

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First Trimester

Uchiha Sakura was not feeling well and hadn't been feeling at her best for about a month.

As a kunoichi and medic, she was usually more aware of her body than a civilian, but due to the increased pressures of being married to the leader of the largest and most prominent clan in the Hidden Leaf Village, Sakura held more responsibility than most women.

Though she had retired from active duty at the time of marriage, Sakura still worked at the hospital 5 days a week. As Uchiha Madara's wife, she had plenty of duties to the clan as well. 10-12 hour days at the hospital followed by 2-4 hours of resolving disputes between the wives within the clan and other duties and issues that Madara and deemed 'hers', Sakura was beginning to feel the exhaustion. The weekends were 'theirs' for the most part, but they still had to show up to clan functions as requested and had made it difficult for the couple to have alone time.

They had managed whenever they could and Sakura could say that she was very happy in her marriage.

But lately, Sakura had been falling asleep at her desk at the hospital, even nodding off while dealing with clan issues. And the mood swings! Sakura was already temperamental, a trait she had picked up from her shishou over the years during her training, but not the extent she was exhibiting lately. She cringed when she recalled the latest outburst of anger, followed by tears when dealing with an issue between two clan women who were arguing about whose embroidery of the clan emblem was better and should be used for the Clan leaders clothing.

Embroidery of all things! Needless to say, the two women left in a hurry for fear of upsetting the matriarch any more than they had and kept their distance of said lady.

Sakura had been plagued by headaches and heartburn almost daily for the past week. The nausea she felt every time she came close to any type of meat, the smell of it sickened her to no end. Even though she liked to cook for her husband on occasion, Sakura was grateful that they had someone to prepare daily meals. Otherwise, Madara would eat nothing but rice and vegetables the way her stomach revolted lately.

It was on an early weekday morning when Sakura rushed from their bed and into the adjoining bathroom that things finally had come to a head. The sound of retching awakened Madera from his slumber. Discovering that his wife was no longer in their marriage bed, he called out to her.

"Sakura, are you okay?"

Another sound of heaving came from Sakura followed by a flush of the toilet.

Madara left the bed and followed after his wife of two years. There he found her on the ground leaning against the porcelain bowl, her head resting against her arms to cushion them from the hard surface.

"Sakura?" he called. "Sweetheart?"

Sakura looked up from her position on the floor, and the male could tell that she was definitely paler than normal from having heaved up what was left of the prior night's meal.

Madara kneeled next to her, his hand gentle despite the years of harsh battles and callouses built up from shinobi life. "Maybe you need to take today off and get yourself checked out."

Jade eyes widened. "I can't…"

"Yes, you can," he said firmly. "You have been working yourself ragged for months. Please," he implored. "Please take the day off and go to the hospital and have Tsunade or Shizune check you out."

With a sickening jolt, Sakura threw up in the toilet again. This time she rested her chin against the seat, so fatigued that she didn't want to move again. Madara reached up and depressed the handle to flush the toilet again.

"Sakura, please…"

She couldn't say no to Madara. The usually calm male was looking extremely worried and she hated to see him look like that. But already she was feeling better.

"I'm sure I just need a little rest..."

"In fact," Madara interrupted, knowing that his wife was going to try to talk her way out of it. "Why don't I send a messenger and have Shizune come here?" A slightly manic grin crossed his face before swiftly reverting to a more calm and serene one that he used when dealing with difficult people. "Yes, yes, that will do!" And before Sakura could say anything or change his mind, Madara was out of the room making arrangements for a house call.

Sakura groaned.

oOo

Second Trimester

Sakura was a poor patient. Heck, most medics and doctors were known to be the worst patients in the world, but Sakura would admit that she hated the poking, the prodding.

It didn't help that she was 5-1/2 months pregnant now. That meant tons of poking and prodding in her past and future.

As if by magic, Shizune appeared within mere minutes of Sakura leaving the bathroom that fateful morning. After a few pointed questions by the medic and a quick search with chakra, it was confirmed. Sakura was carrying the next heir.

Madara was thankful that Shizune had been the one to see to Sakura that day and still hadn't forgiven the Godaime Hokage for threatening him with castration the moment he'd made his interest known in Sakura. Tsunade followed up her threat by waving a chakra scalpel at the tip of her finger at him. "I can sneak into the compound and remove your man parts without anyone being the wiser, Uchiha," she told him with a look of promise in her eyes.

"Besides," she commented nonchalantly. "Would you want to chance an heir with pink hair?"

Madara snorted. "Uchiha genes breed true," he replied confidently. "Any children from my loins will be dark-haired and dark-eyed." He said this with the air of self-assurance that could only come from the Uchiha Clan Patriarch.

He should have wondered why the Legendary Sucker didn't make a bet with him that day.

But that conversation was quickly forgotten and Madera focused on the more important issue of taking care of his beautiful wife and making sure she was comfortable and lacked nothing. And informing the elders.

Of course, the news of her pregnancy was received by the clan with great fanfare and gifts came from all over the village for the new clan heir. And a few for Sakura as well. But mainly items that would fill the baby's room. In triplicate. Sakura thought it was overkill. Madera expected it. Nothing but the best for the heir of their clan.

Four months or so later, Sakura was past nausea, the debilitating fatigue and the sensitivity to smells, although there were times that the smell of raw chicken made her gag, she was feeling so much better.

But there were other changes to her body. These ones were more visible and made her feel ugly.

"You are beautiful," her husband would croon to her while nuzzling the tell-tale baby bump as they lie in their bed one weekend morning. "You carry my son and you are even more stunning than before."

Sakura bristled momentarily at the comparison but then calmed down. She knew what he meant even if her hormones were taking it a little (okay, a LOT) personally.

"The stretch marks…"

"Are badges of honor. They show that you carry my young as he grows as a result of what we created together."

"Your breasts are also growing to accommodate the milk to feed and nurture him," he murmured as Madara palmed one in his large hand and began to suckle.

"Oh, Kami…" Sakura moaned as her husband took advantage of another side-effect of her pregnancy.

Her increased libido.

oOo

Third Trimester

"I wish this kid would come already," groaned Sakura one afternoon as she gingerly sat down on the comfortable and overly-plump armchair that had recently become a second home. It was second only to the bathroom since she'd been spending an enormous amount of time there. Her chair was the only place, besides the bed, that was somewhat comfortable for the kunoichi in her 8th month of pregnancy.

Sakura quickly discovered that there was no such thing as being 'comfortable' anymore.

Ino chuckled lightly. "Well, this is what happens when you have sex, forehead. What did you expect?"

Sakura growled. "Then that must mean that you and Sai don't have sex. That must be the reason you're so ugly, pig. Or it's because you're so ugly that Sai can't stand to have sex with you."

The blonde shook her head knowing that her friend didn't mean anything she said. 8 months pregnant in the heat of summer would make anyone irritable. The fact that it was Sakura just amplified the ugliness coming from her friend's mouth.

"Alright, forehead, enough with the insults," Ino assuaged. "Are you thirsty or hungry? Can I get you anything? A pillow? A fan? An assassin to kill your husband for doing this to you?" her friend offered in jest.

Sakura stared at her best friend and Ino thought the pink-haired female was actually considering the assassin.

The pregnant woman just smiled and shook her head. "No, I'm good. But thanks for cheering me up."

Ino just nodded and smiled. "As long as you remember this when I get pregnant and we'll be good."

oOo

The final month wore on and so did Sakura's temper. Madara stayed close by in case his lovely wife went into labor.

Sleep had been impossible, making her crankier than usual. Even the usually immaculate Madara was beginning to show wear from lack of sleep. If Sakura didn't sleep, her tossing and turning made it all but impossible for her husband to get any rest. The heat of the days in addition to the extra blood pumping through Sakura's body made her even more uncomfortable, and the last thing she wanted was him touching her.

Her husband continued to show his appreciation for her in little ways, and by telling her how much he loved her and just how beautiful she was even though Sakura didn't feel so beautiful. In fact, she felt like a beached whale. That had legs. And waddled like a duck.

When will it end!

The swelling of her ankles and feet made it even more difficult to walk, so she spent a lot of time in her chair with her legs up on the ottoman. She was thankful that she and Madara, with the assistance of some of the clan women and her friends, had completed the baby's room. All done in shuriken motif, the room looked more like an armory for a child than a true baby's room.

Shizune had continued to see to Sakura's prenatal health and Tsunade would check in every once in a while just to annoy Madara.

By the time Sakura's due date came and went, the entire Uchiha compound was put on watch. The matriarch was never left alone when Madara had to leave for clan business. His nephew Sasuke would check in on her along with their friend Naruto who didn't understand the limitations brought on by her pregnancy. If Sakura could move, she would have punted him out of her home and over the village wall.

Sasuke was better able to handle his former teammate, his brother Itachi having married and had his first child the prior year. For all of his emo-ness, Sasuke was actually a wonderful uncle to his little nephew. Besides, he had learned from all of Itachi's mistakes during his wife's pregnancy and was determined not to repeat them.

One morning, Sakura awakened and went through her morning routine. Madara had already left for the morning to attend to some clan meeting and left her alone, except for the help, for a few hours for the first time in weeks. It so happened that the pregnant matriarch felt really good for once. Actually, she felt like baking!

Sakura waddled her way into the kitchen and made her way to the cupboards in search of the items she needed to make her chocolate chip cookies. Her housekeeper and cook tried to discourage their Lady but Sakura wouldn't have it.

"We have no chocolate chips or butter," she muttered. "I guess I'll have to go to the market."

"Milady, you mustn't leave the house…" the housekeeper said attempting to keep Sakura safe within the home. The master would be so mad.

"Bah! I feel amazing and a little walk to the market is nothing," Sakura said as she slipped on some loose slippers and grabbed her purse. "I'll be back shortly!" she told the flustered housekeeper before slamming the door behind her.

The next time Sakura would return home was 2 days later.

It was funny, actually. Sakura made it halfway to the market in the compound only to have her water break. Needless to say, Madara was informed post-haste and he carried her off to the hospital. After 10 hours of labor, a lot of swearing, broken hands being healed, broken and re-healed three times, Uchiha Hideki was born.

With pink hair and green eyes.


End file.
